Gino Magliocco remembered for his courage, sense of humor

TRUMBULL — Nicole DaSilva remembers her grandfather Gino Magliocco as a man who was “always on the move.” He was either fixing cars, or working in his garden, or making homemade wine and sausage, or engaged in another project. But, said DaSilva, Magliocco always had time for his family. “He basically loved to be with his family if he wasn’t working on cars,” said DaSilva, who lives in Shelton. “When he would walk through the door at the end of the day, it didn’t matter how tired he was. He would sit at the head of the table and tell all these stories.” Magliocco, 84, of Monroe, died April 21 after a one-motor vehicle crash on Stonehouse Road in Trumbull. The Trumbull Police Department traffic division is still investigating the incident, but there is no new information at this time said Trumbull police spokesman Lt. Brian Weir. He said it “may take several weeks or even months before any significant information is learned.” Despite his age, DaSilva said her grandfather was energetic and engaged right up to the end of his life. She recalled him telling her grandmother a week or two ago that he was thinking of getting a job. “He always had energy, every single time my mom would speak to him,” DaSilva said. She recalled her grandfather as a boisterous, fun-loving man who would do anything for his grandchildren. But she said he had worked hard for everything he had. Born in Torrice, Frosinone, Italy, Magliocco moved to Caracas, Venezula at age 18 with his brother. According to Magliocco’s obituary, that’s where the brothers learned the auto body repair trade before coming to the United States in 1971. Eventually, in 1978, they started their own shop, R & G Auto Body in Bridgeport. DaSilva said her grandfather had the business until his retirement in 2001. She said his bravery and perseverance have been an inspiration for her. “He came over from Italy, didn’t speak the language, (didn’t know anyone) and still had the courage to start a business,” DaSilva said, adding that, it’s partly because of Magliocco that she started her own eyelash and makeup business. “I knew that I could do it if he could,” she said. Despite his strength and work ethic, her grandfather was also a lot of fun, DaSilva said. “Me and my sister — he would let us do whatever we wanted to him,” she said. “We could put makeup on him or put braids in his hair.” Her grandfather had thick beautiful hair, she said, and, as a kid, she and her sister once put flower clips in it for fun. Her grandfather fell asleep with the clips in his hair, DaSilva said, and, when he woke up, he had forgotten they were there and went to the local Italian club still wearing them. “Because (his hair) was so thick, it was kind of hidden to him,” DaSilva said. “But anyone who stood behind him could see he had clips in his hair.” But her grandfather wasn’t upset when figured out what had happened, she said. “He wasn’t even angry,” DaSilva said. “He was laughing.” A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at noon Wednesday at St. Theresa Church, 5301 Main St., Trumbull. Entombment will follow in Mountain Grove Cemetery, Bridgeport. Relatives and friends may greet the family at a walk-through visitation on Wednesday morning from 9 to 11:30 a.m. in the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Rd., Trumbull. At the family’s request, masks are required and those attending are asked to adhere to social distance.

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